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18 <br /> 1 infrastructure. He said that this information is reported to the NC Department of Environmental <br /> 2 Quality with NCDOT. <br /> 3 Theo Letman said his department is involved with the long-range planning that is going <br /> 4 on with the county. They are providing surveys and being a resource of information for <br /> 5 consultants and residents. He said the department is involved with Medicaid transformation that <br /> 6 is going on throughout the state. He explained that Medicaid has been privatized and now those <br /> 7 entities provide trips, and they contract with local transportation providers. He said this has been <br /> 8 a tough transition but that they continue to meet those challenges and provide services to <br /> 9 constituents on Medicaid. <br /> 10 Craig Benedict briefly touched on the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan <br /> 11 Planning Organization (DCHC MPO) 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). He said that <br /> 12 it will tie into how the counties plan is financially feasible and provides what could happen by <br /> 13 2040. <br /> 14 Mayor Pro Tem Stegman thanked the presenters and asked for any questions. <br /> 15 Council Member Ryan asked about the bus driver shortage and what issues remain. <br /> 16 Brian Litchfield said it is still a significant problem for Chapel Hill Transit, as it as across <br /> 17 the nation and region. He said any specialized license employment is hard to find right now. He <br /> 18 said there are consistently 30-45 fulltime vacancies and that has forced adjustments to services. <br /> 19 He said there have also been service adjustments due to absentees due to COVID infection <br /> 20 protocols. He said some of those trip reductions are already coming back but that the effort <br /> 21 continues. He said they are working with the town to adjust starting pay to 18.60/hour and he <br /> 22 believes it will go along way to help but will not solve the shortage. He said the challenges will <br /> 23 remain into next year. <br /> 24 Mayor Weaver said she participated in an intergovernmental workshop for transit. She <br /> 25 said the elected officials that participated did not have a clear understanding of the agreement. <br /> 26 She said it was important for everyone to understand their roles and the parameters of the <br /> 27 agreement. <br /> 28 Mayor Weaver asked about the Orange County Transit Plan Update. She asked about <br /> 29 the plan's structure and if it is still set up for a real dollar amount needed for resources while <br /> 30 also having a visionary aspect for what the community would like to have. <br /> 31 Mayor Weaver also asked about Mobility on Demand. She asked if there was a plan for <br /> 32 a second circulator route in the county or if Mobility on Demand is the solution to the one-way <br /> 33 circulator. <br /> 34 Craig Benedict said the Orange County Transit Plan has moved to a more ambitious and <br /> 35 visionary plan and that has been relayed to the consultant and the strategies have been <br /> 36 renegotiated with them as well. He said they must start with what they have now and look at <br /> 37 what investments could be made in the corridor if there are additional revenues. <br /> 38 Theo Letman said there are still plans to expand on the circulator. He said the pandemic <br /> 39 and supply chain issues have affected the department's ability to purchase and maintain <br /> 40 vehicles. <br /> 41 Council Member Berry asked about the increased costs due to delays for the North- <br /> 42 South Rapid Transit. She said it seems like we are looking at continued increased costs due to <br /> 43 delays associated with the state. She asked if$150 million is the correct cost and if the costs <br /> 44 will continue to increase with delays. <br /> 45 Brian Litchfield said that is correct and that the figure of$150 million assumes starting <br /> 46 construction in 2026 and 2027. He said if they could build the project earlier, it would cost less. <br /> 47 He said $150 million is a good estimate within the estimated timeline but that the more the <br /> 48 project is delayed, it could increase. He said the challenge is that to ask for $100 million in <br /> 49 federal money, they must already have non-federal money lined up. He said the transit plan is <br /> 50 providing $14 million, but it does not provide as much revenue as other plans. He said there are <br />